TeleVue 60 Operating instructions

Brand: TeleVue

Model: 60

Category: Telescopes

Type: Operating instructions

TeleVue 60

TeleVue 60 is an apochromatic refractor telescope with a 360mm focal length and a 60mm aperture. It is a versatile instrument that can be used for both astronomical and terrestrial observing.

The TeleVue 60's apochromatic design means that it produces images that are free of chromatic aberration, even at high magnifications. This makes it an excellent choice for observing planets, stars, and other celestial objects.

The TeleVue 60's 60mm aperture provides enough light-gathering power to see faint objects, but it is still small enough to be portable. This makes it a great choice for backpackers, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts.

TeleVue 60

TeleVue 60 is an apochromatic refractor telescope with a 360mm focal length and a 60mm aperture. It is a versatile instrument that can be used for both astronomical and terrestrial observing.

TV60OG 1003

PRICE $5.00

Printed in U.S.A.

360mm f/6.0

APO REFRACTOR

OPERATING GUIDE

Tele Vue-60

32 Elkay Dr., Chester, New York 10918 (845) 469 - 4551 www.televue.com

Tele Vue

Visionary

Optional equipment shown.

OPERATING GUIDE

Congratulations on purchasing the Tele Vue-60 APO telescope. We worked hard

to ensure that the Tele Vue-60 embodies all the performance and features of the ﬁnest

astronomical-quality telescopes along with the compact size, ease-of-use, and versatility

of a top spotting scope. Please take the time to read this operating guide to familiarize

yourself with the various parts, operating suggestions and care instructions that will enable

you to obtain maximum enjoyment from your new Tele Vue-60.

WARNING: NEVER look at the sun or point the telescope toward or near the

sun without proper solar observing equipment rigidly secured in front of the

objective lens. Instant and permanent eye damage will result from viewing

the sun directly, even during a solar eclipse, or when viewing through thin

clouds, or when the sun is near the horizon.

1. SET-UP SUMMARY

Follow these simple instructions to start using your Tele Vue-60 immediately.

However, please read the complete operating guide including care instructions to get the

most enjoyment out of your new Tele Vue-60.

1.1 MOUNTING

(Be sure to tighten the axes of your mount before attaching the Tele Vue-60.)

A) Locate the three ¼-20 tapped holes in the bottom of the DOVETAIL BALANCE

BAR. When using a photo tripod, choose any of the three threaded holes for attachment.

For the Tele Vue Tele-Pod or Panoramic Mounts, use the hardware included with

the mount. Thread the ¼-20 studs into the two holes in the DOVETAIL BALANCE BAR

that correspond with the clearance holes in the mounting’s cradle and lock tightly. Place

the telescope into the cradle so that the studs stick through the cradle’s clearance holes.

Lock the scope down with the wing nuts also supplied with the mount.

1.2 SET-UP FOR VIEWING

A) Remove the plug from the end of the FINE FOCUS DRAW TUBE. Make sure

the DIAGONAL LOCK SCREW is loosened enough so that the internal brass clamp ring

is fully retracted. Insert an optional MIRROR DIAGONAL or ERECTING PRISM and

tighten the DIAGONAL LOCK SCREW.

B) Place a low power eyepiece into the installed MIRROR DIAGONAL or ERECT-

ING PRISM and tighten its lock screw.

Note: Mirror diagonals give upright images that are reversed left-right. Mirror

diagonals are highly recommended to get the best optical performance from the Tele Vue-

60. It is required for high power viewing and to obtain maximum image sharpness.

C) Squeeze the tabs on the LENS CAP to remove it.

Optical Arrangements:

1) 90° mirror diagonal - This gives an upright image that is reversed left-right. It is best optically and

required for high magnication viewing.

2) 60° mirror diagonal - same note as above, but the 60° angle is more comfortable for terrestrial

observing.

3) 45° erecting prism - For normal viewing. Limited to terrestrial viewing up to 60x.

4) 35mm SLR attachment with optional 1¼" Camera Adapter.

A. 1¼" Eyepiece J. Diagonal Lock screw

B. 1¼" Powermate K. Fine Focus Ring

C. 1¼" Diagonal Mirror L. Coarse Focus Draw Tube

D. 60° Diagonal Mirror M. Draw Tube Tension Screw

E. 45° Erecting Prism N. Body

G. 35mm SLR O. Sliding Dew Shield (Contains 77mm Filter Threads)

H. T-ring for your camera P. Lens Cap

I. 1¼" Camera Adapter Q. Dovetail Balance Bar

R. Balance Bar Lock Screw

S. Qwik-Point

*Optional Equipment

1.3 FOCUSING

A) Rotate the FINE FOCUS RING so it is set halfway through its travel. This will

permit the greatest amount of +/- ﬁne focus travel.

B) Point the scope towards an object you'd like to view.

C) Grasp the rubber grip ring on the FINE FOCUS RING and adjust the DRAW

TUBE TENSION SCREW on top of the telescope body so that the push-pull action is loose

enough to allow easy motion, but not so loose that the COARSE FOCUS DRAW TUBE

slips backwards on its own.

D) Pull the COARSE FOCUS DRAW TUBE out until focus has roughly been

achieved and lightly tighten the DRAW TUBE TENSION SCREW. (CAUTION: DO NOT

REPEATEDLY PUSH OR PULL THE DRAW TUBE QUICKLY. THIS PUMPING AC-

TION CAN DRAW DUST INTO THE TELESCOPE.)

E) Now, rotate the FINE FOCUS RING until your object is in sharp focus.

1.4 BALANCE

The balance of the telescope may change depending on the eyepiece or camera

used. To adjust the balance:

A) Loosen the BALANCE BAR LOCK SCREW.

B) Holding the TELESCOPE BODY, slide the entire telescope fore or aft until

balance is reached.

C) Tighten the BALANCE BAR LOCK SCREW only enough to hold the scope

in position. Do not overtighten.

2. TELESCOPE & SPOTTING SCOPE BASICS

Many people who use telescopes and spotting scopes are curious about just

how they work. What is magniﬁcation power, and how does it work? It is very simple.

When we wish to inspect a distant object more critically, we will intuitively bring it (or

ourselves) closer. The “enlargement” from this closer proximity permits us to more easily

see smaller details.

A telescope’s objective lens forms an image of an object as if it were closer to the

observer, like a telephoto camera lens. However, this real “image” is so small that, although

enlarged, it is difﬁcult to see any of its ﬁne detail. Therefore, a “magniﬁer,” called an

eyepiece, is used to look at a portion of the “image” in greater detail. The magniﬁcation,

therefore, depends on the relationship between the focal lengths of the objective (to form

the image) and the eyepiece (to enlarge the image). To ﬁgure out the magniﬁcation factor,

divide the telescope's focal length by the eyepiece focal length. For example, the Tele

Vue-60’s 360mm objective used with an 20mm eyepiece yields 18 power. (360÷20=18x)

The combined qualities of the objective lens and the eyepiece (as well as anything

else in the light path between them, such as prisms or mirrors—see below) help determine

the quality of the magniﬁed view. One of the secrets of the Tele Vue-60’s extraordinary

optical performance is its partnership with the family of Tele Vue eyepieces.

For terrestrial use, prisms are often employed to provide a correct presentation of

the objective’s image, as well as folding the light path to make the instrument more compact

and/or easier to use. In most terrestrial spotting scopes, the prisms are built in, and are

not removable. Most astronomical telescopes have no prisms, since the image erecting

function is unnecessary for viewing the sky. However, mirror diagonals are used to provide

easier viewing postures for the observer. Your Tele Vue-60 telescope can be used with

either prisms or mirror diagonals, providing maximum versatility for either use. Since

prisms and mirrors are in the “light path,” they must be of very high quality, or they will

degrade the overall performance of the objective and eyepiece. (All Tele Vue prisms and

mirror diagonals are individually inspected and tested to ensure the highest quality possible.)

In order for a telescope to be properly and clearly in focus, the eyepiece must be

at the precise distance from the objective lens. This distance may vary with the type of

eyepiece as well as the distance to the object being viewed. For terrestrial viewing, where

the object distance can vary greatly, there ideally should be both gross and ﬁne adjustments

in order to handle all focussing situations quickly and easily. The Tele Vue-60 can focus

from approximately 10 feet to inﬁnity.

Another factor affecting the focus “position” is the corrective error of the observer’s

eye (i.e. if you require eyeglasses), and whether you are wearing them or not. These vari-

ables are accommodated by the focuser, which provides the mechanical adjustment for a

range of focus positions.

That’s all there is to the basic operation of a telescope or spotting scope.

3. GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE TELE VUE-60

The more you know about each part of the Tele Vue-60, the quicker you will become

familiar with its use and many capabilities.

3.1 OPTICAL TUBE ASSEMBLY

The optical tube assembly is the heart of the telescope. It consists of the front lens

cell with captive dew shield, snap-on lens cover, anodized aluminum body, and focuser. The

Tele Vue-60 is an air-spaced doublet apochromatic design using the ﬁnest quality special

dispersion glasses. The objective produces diffraction limited resolution with color cor-

rection far exceeding that of a "classic" f/15 achromat.

The two lens elements contained in the optical tube assembly are critically aligned

to deliver all the sharpness inherent in this unique design. Never loosen the lock screws

in the lens cell as this will affect collimation and void the warranty.

The end of the dew shield is threaded to accept 77mm photographic ﬁlters. A ﬁlter

is recommended to protect the objective lens when observing in shore environments. Care

must be taken to select the highest optical quality ﬁlter possible so as not to affect the image

quality. It is recommended to always remove any aperture ﬁlter for astronomical observing.

3.2 1¼" FOCUSER

Tele Vue-60's 1¼" dual-action draw tube/helical type focuser is individually hand

ﬁtted to obtain a smooth and accurate focus action. A tension/lock screw is located on top

of the focuser body. It can be used to add resistance against the focuser’s draw tube. This

is especially valuable when using heavy eyepieces and cameras.

3.3 ERECTING PRISMS AND MIRROR DIAGONALS (OPTIONAL)

A) 45° ERECTING PRISM — The viewing angle allows comfortable terrestrial

and astronomical observing and is best used at low and medium powers, up to approximately

60x.

B) 60° DIAGONAL — The Everbrite dielectric coated mirror takes full advantage

of the performance capability of the Tele Vue-60 with a comfortable viewing angle for ter-

restrial observing. The image orientation is correct top-to-bottom, but left-right reversed.

C) The 90° 1¼" Star Diagonal can be supplied with either a 96% reﬂective

enhanced aluminum mirror coating or 99% reﬂective Everbrite coating. The Everbrite’s

optical advantage in neutral coloration and scatter control is seen under critical evaluation

at high power on the Moon and major planets. It is a durable, non-metallic coating which

will maintain its reﬂectivity over time.

Diagonals offer higher optical performance than prism units, most effectively

noticed at powers above 80x. The image is right side up, but reversed left-right.

All of the above items are available individually, and are interchangeable on the

Tele Vue-60.

3.4 EYEPIECES (OPTIONAL)

As previously discussed, the function of the eyepiece is to magnify the image

formed by the objective. Choosing eyepieces involves making decisions based on object

type, physical constraints and personal preferences. The Tele Vue-60 accepts only 1¼"

barrel eyepieces. Consult the magniﬁcation table in this operating guide for eyepiece/

Powermate magniﬁcations. For more detailed information on eyepiece speciﬁcations when

used with the Tele Vue-60, try our eyepiece calculator at www.televue.com, or call us for

recommendations.

3.5 MOUNTING/BALANCE BAR

The captive dovetail mounting/balance bar, referred to simply as the balance

bar, allows the Tele Vue-60 to be attached to a number of tripod or mount types, including

camera/video, alt/azimuth or equatorial. It also slips into the Tele Vue SCT Bracket (SBB-

1002) making the Tele Vue-60 the ultimate ﬁnder/Rich-Field accessory for your SCT! The

thick aluminum bar provides a solid footprint and resists vibration. A thumb screw locks

the balance position, while providing easy adjustment when necessary.

Dovetail Balance Bar — end holes for Tele Vue mounts, middle holes for camera/video tripods.

Holes 1, 3 & 4 have ¼-20 threads. Hole 2 is for the anti-rotation pin found on camera/video tripods.

1 2 3 4

4. MOUNTING THE TELE VUE-60

To use magniﬁcations higher than about 10x, you need to stabilize the telescope

by mounting it on a tripod. A quality photo tripod or any in our complete line of mounts

can be used. Several standard ¼-20 tapped holes are provided to accommodate all types

of tripods. If you should change eyepiece sizes or weights, or should mount a camera,

you may have to reposition the Tele Vue-60 for best balance. This will reduce the amount

of observable vibration, or tremors seen at higher magnifying powers, and gives you the

smoothest mount movement.

For mounting the Tele Vue-60 on any Tele Vue tripod, follow the instructions

supplied with each unit. All necessary hardware is included with the tripod.

In general, the heavier the tripod, the more stable and effective it is at high mag-

niﬁcation (100x to 150x). For speciﬁc mounting instructions, refer to the documentation

provided with your mount.

4.1 TELE VUE MOUNTING OPTIONS

A) TELE-POD HEAD — Mounting the Tele Vue-60 on a tripod with a standard

camera head is ﬁne for terrestrial viewing. However, problems arise when tilting up from

the horizon. The weight of the telescope will always be ﬁghting gravity.

The yoke and cradle design of the Tele-Pod Head solves this problem by moving

the altitude pivot axis near to the center of gravity of the telescope. In this balanced state

the telescope will stay where it’s pointed. The Sky Tour digital setting circle system and

Eyepiece Caddy Set are great bolt-on accessories.

The Tele-Pod head simply threads onto either the center post of your camera tripod

(no need for the camera head) or onto the camera head itself.

B) TELE-POD MOUNT — Weighing 7 lbs. the Tele-Pod mount combines the

Tele-Pod head with a light weight camera tripod. It is the ideal mount for the Tele Vue-60

with the added ability to use the Sky Tour and Eyepiece Caddy Set.

C) PANORAMIC MOUNT — The Panoramic Mount puts the Tele-Pod head atop

a beautiful ash or walnut tripod. A convenient accessory tray is included.

4.2 CAMERA TRIPOD MOUNTING

The standard ¼-20 tapped holes in the mounting bar allows the Tele Vue-60 to be

mounted on any heavy duty camera tripod.

4.3 ADAPTERS FOR EQUATORIAL MOUNTING

A) Tele Vue offers an adapter plate (Part# AVT-1011) that allows the Tele Vue-60

to be mounted on Great Polaris or Sphinx equatorial mounts from Vixen.

Never underestimate the value of comfort in observing. Use the

star diagonal to avoid “craning” your neck for astronomical ob-

serving. An adjustable height observer’s stool such as Tele Vue’s

Air-Chair is a great way to keep from getting tired.

5. OBSERVING WITH THE TELE VUE-60

5.1 HOW TO POINT THE TELE VUE-60

A) LOW POWER EYEPIECE — By inserting low power eyepieces, the Tele Vue-

60 can be used as its own ﬁnder for locating objects to be observed at higher magniﬁcations.

For the widest ﬁeld possible, you should use either the Tele Vue 32mm Plössl or the 24mm

Panoptic which provides viewing at 11x or 15x respectively with a whopping 4.3° true ﬁeld

(over 8 full moon diameters).

B) QWIK-POINT — This accessory projects a "red dot" where the telescope is

pointed and attaches to the telescope's dew shield. (See back page for instructions.)

5.2 EYEPIECE RECOMMENDATIONS

The optical performance of your Tele Vue-60 telescope is based on its high quality

objective lens. However, every other item in the telescope’s light path will affect the ﬁnal

image quality. To obtain the highest performance from your Tele Vue-60 telescope, you

should select only eyepieces, prism or mirror diagonal assemblies by Tele Vue Optics .

Although the variety of eyepieces seems daunting, you only need a few to cover

a broad magniﬁcation range. Choose the best eyepieces you can afford, rather than the

most. Many factors are involved in choosing the right eyepiece for you. Please call us for

advice. Below are our suggestions for getting started with your Tele Vue-60.

Starting with low power, the 24mm Panoptic at 15x provides the largest true

ﬁeld, 4.3°. For medium power, a 9mm Nagler Type 6 delivers 40x, great for terrestrial as

well as rich-ﬁeld deep sky observing. The 8mm Ethos would be a great alternative to the

9mm Nagler At high power your subject will appear to move through the ﬁeld quickly.

Therefore, if the eyepiece focal lengths were the same, an 82° Nagler eyepiece would

permit longer observing times before having to move the telescope. In practice, the true

ﬁeld differences for our high power recommendations are small because the magniﬁcations

are different. For high power, choosing either a 2.5mm Nagler Type 6 (144x), or 3-6mm

Zoom (60x-120x) will give you a minimum of two minutes time to view an object on the

meridian (worst case) before having to reposition the telescope.

Although Ethos eyepieces are larger, heavier and more costly, the 100° appar-

ent ﬁeld of view gives a unique "wow" experience. Ethos 13mm, 10mm, 8mm, 6mm and

4.7mm, 3.7mm (with 110°) all work with the TV-60. The Delos line with its 20mm of eye

relief is excellent day or night for eyeglass wearers. Available focal lengths 17.3mm, 14mm,

12mm, 10mm, 8mm, 6mm, 4.5mm and 3.5mm.

Though the Tele Vue-60 is capable of signiﬁcantly higher powers, the number

of subjects bright enough for such magniﬁcations are limited to the Moon, major planets

and some double stars. Please note going to higher powers than recommended produces

a larger image, but no resolution gain. Atmospheric turbulence will also often limit the

amount of magniﬁcation that can be used.

An easy way to center bright objects is to remove the eyepiece

and look down into the diagonal from a foot away. Place the

bright object (moon, planet etc.) as close to center as possible.

Reinstall a low power eyepiece and further center the object.

Tele Vue-60

Focal

Length

(mm)

Type Product

Code

Apparent

Field (deg)

Field Stop

Dia. (mm)

Eye

Relief

(mm)

Weight

(lb.) Mag.

True

Field

(deg)

Exit

Pupil

(mm)

# of

Elem.

Dioptrx

Ready

1¼" Eyepieces for Wide True Fields

40 Plössl EPL-40.0 43 27.0 28 0.4 9.0 4.30 6.7 4 Y

32 Plössl EPL-32.0 50 27.0 22 0.4 11.3 4.30 5.3 4 Y

24 Panoptic EPO-24.0 68 27.0 15 0.5 15.0 4.30 4.0 6 Y*

13 Ethos ETH-13.0 100 22.3 15 1.3 27.7 3.55 2.2 - Y

16 Nagler 5 EN5-16.0 82 22.1 10 0.4 22.5 3.52 2.7 6 N

19 Panoptic EPO-19.0 68 21.3 13 0.4 18.9 3.39 3.2 6 Y*

25 Plössl EAP-25.0 50 21.2 17 0.3 14.4 3.37 4.2 4 N

17.3 Delos EDL-17.3 72 21.2 20 0.9 20.8 3.37 2.9 - Y

18.2 DeLite EDE-18.2 62 19.1 20 0.5 19.8 3.04 3.0 - Y

10 Ethos ETH-10.0 100 17.7 15 1.1 36.0 2.82 1.7 - Y

13 Nagler 6 EN6-13.0 82 17.6 12 0.4 27.7 2.80 2.2 7 Y*

14 Delos EDL-14.0 72 17.3 20 0.9 25.7 2.75 2.3 - Y

20 Plössl EAP-20.0 50 17.1 14 0.2 18.0 2.72 3.3 4 N

12 Nagler 4 EN4-12.0 82 17.1 17 1.0 30.0 2.72 2.0 6 Y

1¼" Eyepieces for Medium Powers

12 Delos EDL-12.0 72 15.0 20 0.9 30.0 2.39 2.0 - Y

11 Nagler 6 EN6-11.0 82 14.9 12 0.4 32.7 2.37 1.8 7 Y*

10 Delos EDL-10.0 72 12.7 20 0.9 36.0 2.02 1.7 - Y

15 Plössl EAP-15.0 50 12.6 10 0.2 24.0 2.01 2.5 4 N

9 Nagler 6 EN6-09.0 82 12.4 12 0.4 40.0 1.97 1.5 7 Y*

11 DeLite EDE-11.0 62 11.7 20 0.4 32.7 1.86 1.8 - Y

11 Plössl EAP-11.0 50 9.1 8 0.1 32.7 1.45 1.8 4 N

1¼" Eyepieces for Higher Powers

8 Ethos ETH-08.0 100 13.9 15 1.0 45.0 2.21 1.3 - Y

6 Ethos ETH-06.0 100 10.4 15 1.0 60.0 1.66 1.0 - Y

8 Delos EDL-08.0 72 9.9 20 1.0 45.0 1.58 1.3 - Y

7 Nagler 6 EN6-07.0 82 9.7 12 0.5 51.4 1.54 1.2 7 Y*

4.7 Ethos SX ETH-04.7 110 8.9 15 1.3 76.6 1.42 0.8 - Y

6 Delos EDL-06.0 72 7.6 20 1.0 60.0 1.21 1.0 - Y

7 DeLite EDE-07.0 62 7.5 20 0.5 51.4 1.19 1.2 - Y

3.7 Ethos SX ETH-03.7 110 7.0 15 1.1 97.3 1.12 0.6 - Y

5 Nagler 6 EN6-05.0 82 7.0 12 0.5 72.0 1.11 0.8 7 Y*

8 Plössl EAP-08.0 50 6.5 6 0.1 45.0 1.03 1.3 4 N

4.5 Delos EDL-04.5 72 5.6 20 1.1 80.0 0.89 0.8 - Y

3.5 Nagler 6 EN6-03.5 82 4.8 12 0.5 102.9 0.76 0.6 7 Y*

3.5 Delos EDL-03.5 72 4.4 20 1.1 102.9 0.70 0.6 - Y

2.5 Nagler 6 EN6-02.5 82 3.4 12 0.5 144.0 0.54 0.4 7 Y*

1¼" Zoom Eyepieces for Medium and Higher Powers

6-3 Nagler

Zoom ENZ-0306 50 5.1-2.6 10 0.3 60.0-

120.0

0.81-

0.41

1.0-

0.5 5 N

†12mm Nagler T4 not recommended for daytime use. *Additional Dioptrx Adapter required

When changing eyepieces, always have the eyepiece you are

changing to in hand and ready to install. This will minimize the

chances for dust or dirt to settle on your diagonal mirror.

5.3 TERRESTRIAL OBSERVING

For terrestrial observing we suggest using a high quality multi-coated, 77mm UV

haze ﬁlter which screws into the front dew shield. This also helps protect the lens. (You

should remove the ﬁlter for the sharpest possible high power astronomical viewing.) Ter-

restrial observing generally takes advantage of the Tele Vue-60’s low and medium powers.

Low magniﬁcations yield wide ﬁelds-of-view which help you to ﬁnd object easily.

The upper ends of the medium power magniﬁcations reduce your ﬁeld of view

and are recommended when subject brightness allows. Also, these higher magniﬁcations

often increase the blurring-effect of air currents, wind, and vibrations. To maximize view-

ing comfort, avoid using over 70x when viewing over asphalt paving or any warm surface,

or through an open window. In these cases, magniﬁcation of air currents by the telescope

will signiﬁcantly degrade image steadiness and sharpness. Image sharpness may also be

reduced when viewing through window glass.

In any case, you will marvel at the clarity of your “window to the world,” whether

as a long distance microscope, a spotter for bird watching, or for viewing over water scenes.

5.4 ASTRONOMICAL VIEWING

The Tele Vue-60’s “diffraction limited” design coupled with its aperture, focal

length, and overall physical size make it a truly portable instrument. It’s easily set up, and

with its optional custom ﬁtted soft case, it is rugged enough for travel by land, sea or air.

Why not take it along to your favorite distant and exotic viewing sites?

Astronomical viewing presents challenges different from those of terrestrial

viewing. With the exception of the moon, planets, and brighter stars, your viewing targets

are not necessarily visible to your naked eye. Remember that views of nebulae, clusters

For correcting near- or farsightedness, there is generally no need

to wear your glasses, since focusing the telescope will compensate

for your eyesight.

If, however, if you suffer from eyesight astigmatism you will either

need to use your glasses or a Tele Vue Dioptrx to get the sharpest

view. Dioptrx has some advantages over standard eyewear. First,

it's made of the highest quality optical glass and is multicoated,

just like the lenses in your Tele Vue eyepieces. Dioptrx is fully

rotatable (tunable) to exactly match the axis of your astigmatism.

Finally, you will always be looking through the center of the

Dioptrx lens for optimal correction. Learn more about Dioptrx at

TeleVue.com.

of stars, and galaxies will appear different from the photographs and illustrations in books

and magazines. Long duration photos made at major observatories present views of objects

which cannot be duplicated visually by telescopes of any size.

However, the visual observer can perceive contrasts and ranges of brightness that

are impossible to duplicate in any photograph. Ask anyone who has observed the delicate

swirls of the Orion nebula, or better yet, try it out yourself when this nebula is above the ho-

rizon. You can see the jewel-like Trapezium stars at the center of the nebula simultaneously

with the petal-like “arms” of nebulosity that seem to curve up and over the brighter central

regions of gas. Photos in books can show one or the other, but rarely both! The Tele Vue-60's

unique design provides high contrast and sharpness over a very wide magniﬁcation range.

A) LOW POWER VIEWING - Magniﬁcations at the lowest end of the Tele Vue-

60's range provide wide, extremely sharp ﬁelds - ideal for ﬁnding your target, for wide angle

sweeps of the Milky Way, and for beautiful views of large open clusters such as the Pleiades

(M45), the Beehive (M44), and the Double Cluster in Perseus. (NGC-869 and NGC-884).

Low power viewing is also the best way to see the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). In

autumn and winter, the rich star clusters in Cassiopeia and Auriga are beautiful.

To reach critical focus, go through each side of focus a few times.

Each time, de-focus less and less. Focus position is critical to both

sharpness and best color correction.

The nightly motion of our moon occasionally causes it to pass through or near rich

star ﬁelds. A crescent moon ﬂoating among the bright jewels of the Pleiades is a sight not

soon forgotten. We encourage you to share such beautiful and special celestial events with

your friends and family.

B) MEDIUM AND HIGH POWER VIEWING - Using eyepieces of shorter focal

length increases the magniﬁcation of the Tele Vue-60, and lets you direct your attention to

even ﬁner lunar and planetary detail, and to the myriad of double and multiple star systems.

Many observers are delighted and surprised with the superior detail seen in high-power

views of some nebulae. These extended objects often have low brightness levels and con-

trast poorly against brightly-lit urban and suburban sky backgrounds. By increasing your

telescope’s magniﬁcation, the sky background darkens, fainter stars are visible and the

enlarged subject becomes much more striking.

Optical theory tells us that with ideal eyesight you can see all of Tele Vue-60’s

resolution at just 40 power. In practice though, most people require magniﬁcation about 2

to 3 times more (80x to 120x) to view all the resolution comfortably. Much like looking at

To easily follow a moving object when viewing with a mirror

diagonal, just remember to push the back of the telescope in the

same direction that the object appears to be moving in the tele-

scope. For example, if a bird is flying through the field from left to

right, swing the back of the scope from left to right.

a television picture, where the closer you get to the tube, the more detail you can see, until

you get so close that you see the screen’s dot pattern. Once the dot pattern is observed, no

additional detail can be seen by moving closer to the set. The same principle applies to

telescope magniﬁcation and resolution. When the resolution limit is reached (at higher

magniﬁcations and with steady air), stars will appear as small discs with one or more sur-

rounding faint rings of light.

Experiment with viewing double stars or lunar detail, and you will quickly discover

those magniﬁcations which are best suited to the object, your eyes, and the steadiness (seeing

conditions) of the Earth’s atmosphere. Cold, crisp winter nights offer excellent transparency

for seeing faint and elusive deep-sky objects, but the accompanying air currents (turbulence)

often will make the moon or planets appear as if they are viewed under moving water. This

is the reason that bright stars twinkle so noticeably on these nights. On the other hand,

hazy summer nights with still, “dead” air (poor transparency but good “seeing”) are often

ideal for observing ﬁne lunar detail, spotting planetary features, and separating close double

stars at the highest magniﬁcations.

You will also enjoy views of the Ring Nebula (M57) and the Dumbbell Nebula

(M27). Close double stars such as Epsilon Lyrae (the “Double-Double”) can be split at high

magniﬁcations. Check www.televue.com for more technical articles.

6. THE TELE VUE-60 AND PHOTOGRAPHY

6.1 PHOTOGRAPHIC METHODS USING THE TELE VUE-60

The Tele Vue-60 can be used with 35mm single lens reﬂex (SLR) cameras or as

an afocal system with an eyepiece and digital camera.

A) PRIME FOCUS 360mm TELEPHOTO — For 35mm cameras, remove either

the diagonal or erecting prism and install the optional 1¼" camera adapter (ACM-1250).

A “T”-ring to mate your particular brand of camera to the adapter can be obtained at any

camera store. With camera mounted, look through the viewﬁnder and focus the Tele Vue-

Put a red filter over your flashlight to prevent disturbing your

eyes' dark adaptation.

Objects are best observed when they are as high overhead as

possible. By looking through less air, the amount of atmospheric

turbulence and dimming (caused by absorption) is considerably

reduced.

Faint objects can be more readily detected by using a technique

called “averted vision”. Try looking slightly away from the faint

object you would like to observe and you will notice that it ap-

pears to get brighter. This is due to the position of the more light

sensitive rods lining the outer area of the retina. Experiment with

the direction in which you avert your vision since a particular area

of your eye might be more sensitive than another.

60 as you would normally.

With the Tele Vue-60 on your camera, you have a 360mm, f/6 telephoto lens! This

is about 7x the magniﬁcation of a 50mm lens. The Tele Vue-60’s fast f/6 performance is

great with DSLR's with APS format, ideal for high resolution nature photography.

B) AFOCAL PHOTOGRAPHY — Tele Vue's afocal camera adapters permit

your digital camera to zoom into your image! Adapters are available for digital cameras

with 28mm, 37mm and 49mm ﬁlter threads. If your camera lens (or lens cover tube) has

a different thread, you can usually ﬁnd a step-up or step-down ring to mate with one of the

Tele Vue thread sizes of 28/37/49mm. Best results occur with long eye-relief eyepieces

such as 32mm Plössl.

7. ACCESSORIES

A) CARRY BAG — The Tele Vue-60 is supplied standard with a GORE-TEX®

bag which has been sized to ﬁt the Tele Vue-60 optical tube plus diagonal and eyepiece.

Always pull the draw string taut and slide the string lock down against the bag when the

scope is in place.

B) SOFT CARRY CASE — The optional carry case measures just 13" long x 9"

wide x 4" deep, and holds the Tele Vue-60 optical tube, diagonal or prism of your choice,

plus three eyepieces in custom die-cut foam. The Nylon soft case is padded and comes

with both a carry handle and shoulder strap.

When packing up for the evening, always install the front lens

cover and close Tele Vue-60 in the optional carry case or its bag

box before bringing the telescope inside. Do not open the bag

or box until it reaches room temperature. This will prevent dew

from forming on the telescope. If excessive dew builds up on the

telescope body, wipe it off with a soft cloth.

8. CARING FOR THE TELE VUE-60

The Tele Vue-60 requires no special care. Treat it as you would any ﬁne camera

lens. Use the lens cap when the telescope is not in use or being stored.

As stated earlier, do not pump the draw tube in and out quickly. This can cause

dust or airborne grit to be drawn into the telescope.

If you leave your scope idle in dewy conditions it is always a good idea to tilt the

telescope slightly up. If dew forms on the lens during cold weather, it is best to use an

electric hair dryer (on the lowest setting) to gently warm it away. A few specks of dust will

have no effect on the quality of the image, and may be gently blown off with a squeeze bulb.

Do not use compressed air cans to blow dust off any optical surfaces.

Fingerprints, however should be cleaned off. Though the anti-reﬂection coatings

are durable, they can be scratched. The simplest cleaning method is to moisten a very soft,

lint-free tissue, cloth, “Q-Tip” or surgical cotton with a lens or glass cleaner and gently

whisk away the stain. Do not apply any solutions directly to the glass surfaces. After every

cleaning stroke use a fresh applicator. The fewer strokes the better! Any residual “ﬁlm”

will not effect visual performance.

The star diagonal has a ﬁrst-surface mirror. It should be cleaned only when abso-

lutely necessary. The Tele Vue 60° and 90° diagonal mirror should be removed for cleaning

by removing the back cover's four screws, lifting the back off the diagonal body and cleaning

the entire mirror surface. First blow loose dust away with a squeeze bulb. CAUTION: Do

not clean mirror with water or water based cleaners such as Windex or any other commer-

cial lens cleaners: this is not a lens. All contain too much water and will leave a residue.

Use a Q-Tip moistened with pure acetone or methanol or Isopropyl alcohol (reagent grade).

Wipe the surface gently. Use very light pressure and never rub. Slight residual stains or

dust spots will have no visible effects in observing.

Clean either the Porro or 45° prism just like the mirror diagonal.

The black anodized surfaces of the Tele Vue-60 can be cleaned with “Windex.”

If you have any questions about the care, operation or performance of your Tele

Vue-60, please call Tele Vue at (845) 469-4551 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST.

9. A LAST WORD

The Tele Vue-60 was designed to adapt to your ever-changing interests, to be your

personal “window to the world”. From the details of a bird across a lake, to the cloud bands

of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, or the craters of the moon, the Tele Vue-60 is always ready

to thrill you with the wondrous sights of nature.

Remember to share your experiences with your family and friends. We would like

to hear about your viewing experiences. Always feel free to call or write to us, especially

if you have questions. We feel you are entitled to this level of support with the purchase of

the Tele Vue-60. - And we hope you will feel as much pride in owning the Tele Vue-60 as

we have had in building it for you.

We're proud the TV-60 was given the Smart Money Award for Best Overall Tele-

scope. Smart Money magazine "wondered: What would the world's top amateur astronomer

think" - of ﬁve scopes up to 10" aperture. Besides "giving the best view of Jupiter", this

was David Levy's favorite scope because of its optics and ease of use.

10. WARRANTY

The Tele Vue-60 is warranted to be free of manufacturing or workmanship defects

for 5 (ﬁve) years from the date of purchase. The telescope is individually factory aligned,

and should not be taken apart for any reason. Any adjustment of the front lens cell will void

your warranty. Do not tamper with it.

Returns require proper advance authorization.

11. SPECIFICATIONS:

Type 2-element APO refractor

Clear Aperture 2.4 inches (60mm)

Aperture Gain 73, compared to a 7mm eye pupil

Focal Length 14.2 inches (360mm)

Focal Ratio f/6

Resolution 1.9 arc-sec. (Dawes Limit for a 2.4 inch aperture)

(visual)

Resolution 240 line pairs per mm

(photographic)

Magniﬁcation 11x to 180x using Tele Vue eyepieces

Close Focus Approx. 10 ft.

Field Visual 4.3° at 11x (32 Pl), or 15x (24 Pan)

Field, 35mm ﬁlm 3.8° by 5.7° (6.8° diagonal)

Image Scale 4.0° per inch

Focuser 1¼" draw tube, plus helical ﬁne focus

Mounting Adjustable balance bar with ¼-20 tapped holes for

standard photographic tripods or optional Tele Vue

mountings

Weight approx. 3 lbs. (OTA only)

Length 10" (OTA only)

Tube Black anodized aluminum

Accessories Standard: Carry bag

Optional: soft carrying case

Speciﬁcations subject to change without notice.

1) Remove the 2 but-

ton head screws from the dew

shield with a 1/8” Allen key.

(You won’t be needing the

screws anymore.)

2) Attach the Qwik-

Point adapter block using the

socket-head cap screws and

wrench supplied with the Qwik-

Point (model QBT-1006).

3) Follow instructions

packaged with Qwik-Point for

alignment and use.

Since the Qwik-Point

installs on the dew shield

(sometimes called Sun Shade),

it can be rotated to any conve-

nient angle. It stores in the Tele

Vue-60 carrybag with out need

to remove it.

Qwik-Point Installation Instructions:

TeleVue 60 Operating instructions

Brand: TeleVue

Model: 60

Category: Telescopes

Type: Operating instructions

TeleVue 60

TeleVue 60 is an apochromatic refractor telescope with a 360mm focal length and a 60mm aperture. It is a versatile instrument that can be used for both astronomical and terrestrial observing.

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TeleVue 60 Operating instructions

TeleVue 60 Operating instructions

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